Keyless cutoff box



June 13, 1950 R. B. JOHNSON KEYLESS CUTOFF BOX 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Filed sei. 14, 1944 fiawica June 13, 1950 R. B. JOHNSON ,511,209

KEYLESS CUTOFF BOX Filed Sept. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented June 13, 1950 i'iED STATES PATNT OFFICE KEYLESS CUTOFF BOXRalph Bryan Johnson, Houston, Tex.

Application September 14, 1944, Serial No. 554,043

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to a cut-off box for valves carried by buriedpipes, such for instance in water and gas piping to. residential andindustrial users.

It has been a practice heretofore to provide a cut-off box for theburied valves where it is necessary to have a key, which is insertedinto the box and an attempt is then made to find the valve in order toeffect the operation of cutting oil or turning on the valve. In manyinstances the cover of the box has been removed or displaced. The box iseither full or partially filled with earth or refuse and considerabledifliculty is encountered in cleaning out the box, finding the valve,and attempting to fit the key thereto. In other instances, the box mayhave tilted or dislodged or moved out of alignment and it is difiicultto locate the valve.

The present invention contemplates a structure which will be firmlyanchored with respect to the pipe and with respect to the earth andwhich will be closed and have a key as a portion thereof so that thevalve may be actuated by a handle at the surface and the inconveniencesand disadvantages set out eliminated.

It is therefore one of the objects of the invention to provide a keylesscut-off box which will be anchored to the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide cut-off box havinganchored plates which are adjustable relative to the box to accommodateits use in combination with buried pipes at diiTerent elevations.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cut-off box whichis closed and has an operating handle at the surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cut-oil box whichcan be fitted to pipes at different elevations so as to anchor the boxand the cut-off handle in a rigid and permanent position.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent whenthe following description is considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical section view throughthe cutoii box with the section taken along the plane of the pipe.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view looking down on the cut-off box.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l andillustrates the same arrangement of the structure.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-6 of Fig.

l to illustrate the manner of the connection to the valve.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the arrangement of Fig. 1 and illustrates themanner of connection to a pipe which is buried a greater distance thanthe length of the box.

Fig. 6 shows the box as applied to a pipe which is near the surface.

In Fig. 1, the pipe 2 carries a valve 3 having a plug 4 which is to beturned in the opening or closing to control the flow of fluid throughthe pipe. The pipe of this sort is usually buried a distance below thesurface of the earth and the valve 3 is usually located some distancefrom the residence or'buildings to which the pipe extends and may benear the street or the alley in residential locations or in the basementin industrial buildings. The cut-01f box is illustrated generally at 5and embodies a hollow member 5 which may be cylindrical, rectangular orof any suitable figuration such as the square 1, having the roundedcorners 8 as seen in Fig. 3.

This hollow body 6 is provided with slotted areas it on each sidethereof which extends a substantial distance up into the body asindicated by the dotted lines i l in Fig. 6.

The top of the hollow body is open and it is arranged for placement inthe earth so that the cap i5 thereof is positioned substantially at thesurface it of the earth as seen in Fig. 5.

If the pipe 2 is buried to a relatively shallow depth, the body 6 mayproject below the pipe as seen in Fig. 6 where the pipe 2 passes throughthe slot H) on opposite sides of the housing. Such an arrangement wouldprovide a cut-off box about the valve, but it has been found desirableto firmly anchor the box with respect to the pipe and to accomplishthis, a. plate such as 29 has been positioned on opposite sides of thebox 6. Each of these plates has a plurality of openings 2| therein whichare arranged to embrace the pipe and are preferably the size to fitabout the pipe. These plates also have a plurality of openings 22therein arranged to receive the screws or bolts 23 so that the plate canbe suitably fastened to the box or housing. With this construction thebox is firmly anchored in position and fixed relative to the pipe sothat it cannot become dislodged with respect to the valve 3.

To facilitate this anchoring, each of the plates 20 has an inwardlyextending rib 25 as best seen in Fig. 3 and the openings 2| pass throughthis rib and the rib is of a Width to fit in the slots Ii). Thiseliminates any tilting or tipping action of the box relative to the pipeor the anchor plates and insures a rigid construction. Fig. 1 and Fig.show the arrangement where the pipe 2 is buried a greater distance inthe earth than is illustrated in Fig. 6. In fact, the pipe of Figs. 1and 5 is below the lower end of the box so that the pipe passes throughthe plates but not the box.

It seems obvious that the plates may be of any desired length, dependingupon the depth of the pipe or valve which is to be housed and that theplates are adjustable by moving the screws or bolts 23 to the desiredopenings.

In order to manipulate the valve 3, the spindle has been shown which ispreferably non-circular and fits into a nipple 4|, having a slot 42therein to fit over the wing 43 of the valve 3. This coupling 4| canthen be afiixed to the wing 43 by means of a wire 44 so that it issuitably anchored. The upper end of the spindle 40 passes through abushing 46 rotatable in the hub 4'! of the cap [5. The cross pins 48serve to hold this hub or head 46 into position against verticalmovement and the hub also carries an extension or handle 49 by which thespindle 40 may be rotated in turning the valve ofi or on. Fig. 2 showsthe stop member 50 arranged to be engaged by the lug 51 on the handle 49to limit the turning action in moving the valve to opening position;whereas, a similar stop 53 serves to limit the valve in its closedposition.

Fig. 6 shows that the lug and the stops 50 and 53 each have a suitableopening 54 therein so that a lock 55 may be applied in looking thehandle in either open or closed position. These stops are importantbecause of the force which might be applied to the handle 49. Such aforce could very easily shear the stop pin 55 of the valve 3 and permitthe valve to be turned through another half turn. The drain vent 56would then be opened through the valve plug to the pressure side of thevalve and result in leakage.

Broadly, the invention contemplates a cut-011 box which adapts itselffor position in the earth to protect a .valve or a buried pipe line andwhich is adjustable to accommodate the valve at various depths and undervarying circumstances.

What is claimed is:

A cut off box comprising a housing, a cap therefor, a handle having ahub rotatably mounted in said cap, a valve stem mounted in said hub, andadjustable anchor and support means for said housing comprising a pairof spaced plates having a plurality of longitudinally spaced pipereceiving openings therein, and means to connect said housing to saidplates.

RALPH BRYAN JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 105,925 Eastman Aug. 2, 1870414,546 Kallaher Nov. 5, 1889 948,001 Tyler Feb. 1, 1910 997,412Paradine July 11, 1911 1,123,858 Deckebach Jan. 5, 1915 1,226,938 BakerMay 22, 1917 1,325,393 Calhoun Dec. 16, 1919

